


Weakening of a Father

by Aryalaenkha



Series: Until Dawn [15]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Original Character(s), Ring of the Lucii (Final Fantasy XV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28570359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aryalaenkha/pseuds/Aryalaenkha
Summary: Take place:M.E. 753
Series: Until Dawn [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2090427





	Weakening of a Father

**Author's Note:**

> **Take place:** M.E. 753

As every morning, Aurora had breakfast with her father in the dining room reserved for the royal family. Coffee, spread to berries jam, fruit salad. Nothing better to start the day healthy according to her. Smiling, her father spoke to her.

— Do you feel ready for your first day of training with the Glaives tomorrow?

The young Princess nodded, delighted.

— I just hope it will going well. You know Captain Drautos isn’t my favorite person.

— I know. But he told me he would find you a tutor to teach you what you need to know.

Regis sighed, looking away throught the windows. Outside, Insomnia awoke slowly as the first gleams of the winter sun came to the horizon.

— I would have liked to take care of it myself …

— Kingdom affairs take a lot of your time, I know. I don’t blame you for that.

— Among others, yes. But it’s not just that…

He paused briefly, wondering if he should continue his sentence or not. But as he was about to speak again, a servant came into the room, apologizing for the inconvenience.

— Your Majesty, the Council meeting will about to begin soon.

— Very good. Thank you.

Regis greeted him with a nod before putting his tender look on his daughter.

— Excuse me, I’ll have to go. Have a nice day, my daughter.

— Thanks, you too Dad.

His breakfast over, the King got up and headed for the exit. But he hardly took a step that his legs gave way under his weight, falling to his full height.

— DAD !!!

It made Aurora’s blood boil. She leapt from her chair, knocking it down, and rushed to her father. The two nearby servants did the same.

— Dad ?! Are you OK ?!

The girl’s voice was trembling, betraying her concern. Regis grimaced with pain, straightening slightly, leaning on his forearms. He tried to keep a reassuring tone despite the situation.

— It will be fine. Don’t worry.

— Do you laugh at me?!

Aurora turned to the servants, having tears on her eyes. She tried to channel herself and not to be too bossy despite her strong emotions.

— You, please bring his doctor, and you, please tell Mr. Amicitia that my father will not attend the meeting and that he’ll have to lead it.

— Well, Your Highness.

The two servants nodded and obeyed the orders given by the young Princess without discussion. With a little difficulty and with the help of his daughter, Regis got up but he felt a weakness in one of his legs. He put his arm around Aurora’s neck, which supported him as best as she could, despite their difference in size. After having taken some corridors and elevators, they arrived at his room. Aurora opened the door, helped him lie down on his bed and sat by his side. She took his hand while the King turned his attention to his daughter, looking sorry.

— I’m sorry you could see me like this …

The young Princess was going to answer when someone knocked on the door. She got up and went to open, letting in the doctor who used to heal members of the royal family. She stayed a little behind, letting him examine her father quietly. While she was looking at a family photo on a piece of furniture, Aurora put her hand to her temple, trying to chase her nascent headache. Suddenly, a new whisper came to her ear, like a few years back. She grimaced, knowing very well what it was, and had no choice but to accept the call of the Divine Crystal without trying to ignore it. She put her other hand to her pendant, closed her eyes and plunged into the vision that he wanted to show her.

She was exactly where she was standing right before, but the walls seemed so vaporous that you could easily see through them. Instead of human bodies, she saw a kind of luminous flux emanating from people in the room, but also from those around. This surprised her, not expecting this kind of vision. While the majority of auras were pure white, Regis’s and hers were in addition to purplish hues. Surely by the oath that bound the lineage of the Lucii to the Crystal. Her gaze strangely fixed on her father, still on his bed. Unlike her aura or the doctor’s, his seemed much weaker. By concentrating and disregarding the superfluous, she noticed that this luminous flux passed through the Ring of Lucii, making its way through the Citadel. She followed it with eyes and saw that it was converging on the Divine Crystal to feed the shield that protected Insomnia.

Aurora pursed her lips, frowning. She rubbed her temple and opened her eyes, coming out of the vision. She sighed silently, before returning to the two men. The doctor approached her and explained the situation.

— Your father’s body seems to age much faster than normal. In spite of his forty-seven years old, he seems to have about fifteen or twenty more. As for his right leg, he may gradually lose the use. He will have to help himself with a cane to walk as well as regular therapeutic care to stimulate his muscles and nerves. Depending on the evolution, we will see if we put him a leg brace to give him more mobility.

Aurora nodded, perfectly understanding the seriousness of her father’s health.

— Thanks for all, Doctor.

— You’re welcome. If there is anything, I remain at your disposal. Your Majesty. Your Highness.

The doctor bowed and left the room. The young Princess sat down on the edge of the bed and lowed her head, staring at the floor, letting her hair fall in front of her face.

— Dad … When did you plan to tell us that the Crystal drain your life force to hold the wall?

Her voice was strangled, betraying her tears running down her cheeks. Regis was surprised by her question and frowned.

— How are you aware?

— The Crystal showed it to me. You’ve always told us that you holded it with the Ring of Lucii, but never that it used you as the main source of energy …

The King lowered his eyes, sorry for having to hide such details from his children. He straightened up, sitting in his bed before taking her in his arms and trying to comfort her with a fatherly embrace. The girl showed no sign of resistance, letting herself be like a rag doll.

— I was hoping to broach the subject as late as possible to avoid worrying you.

— Did you thought I didn’t notice anything? You seem more and more tired, as if you had the weight of the world on your shoulders …

Aurora turned her head slightly to her father, her eyes soggy.

— Let me help you and relieve you a little of this burden … Please …

Regis put a lock of hair behind her ear while shaking his head slightly in a negative way.

— It’s my burden, not yours. And … I’d like it never to be neither for your brother, nor for you…

— But it’s consume you slowly, Dad! At this rate, what will you stay? At most ten to fifteen years to live ?! I don’t want to lose you … Not this way …

Aurora sobbed even more as Regis tightened the embrace of his arms.

— I still prefer to take advantage of the few years I still have to live by continuing to protect my loved ones and the Insomnia’s citizens rather than by knowing my daughter sacrificing her own life to give me a few years of extra life.

He paused briefly before continuing.

— Every life has a beginning and an end, Aurora. That of the members of our lineage has always been special, closely related to the Divine Crystal, and it’s rare that we have the chance to experience the joy of longevity.

With one finger, he came to lift her chin so that she looked at him. He wiped her tears with his thumb and smiled tenderly at her.

— Dry your tears, please. I’m still here and I don’t plan to leave anytime soon. Okay ?

Aurora nodded softly, turning to face him, and wrapped her arms around his neck to embrace him. She then understood what her father had earlier suggested by “it’s not just that” and there was no question to asking him for anything that could tap into her remaining vital forces. Regis caressed her hair tenderly and they stayed for a few minutes, enjoying the appeasement of bringing them these moments.


End file.
